Ex-AD Harlequins' Jeremy Manning doing his bit for Fiji’s challenge

Matt Jones - Editor 07:37 02/12/2015
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  • Warming up: Fiji in friendly action against Abu Dhabi Harlequins.

    Reigning World Rugby Sevens Series champions Fiji start their defence in Dubai this weekend and will be hoping some local knowledge can help them retain the trophy they wrestled from New Zealand’s grip in 2014-15.

    The All Blacks are legends of the shortened format of the game too, having won 12 of the 16 Series played since it was first introduced. 

    That haul included the first six from 1999-2005 and four in a row from 2010-14.

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    Their stranglehold was broken last year by Fiji, who won a second title, and there is one man from the Land of the Long White Cloud who will be hoping the Pacific Islanders can keep the trophy out of the clutches of the Kiwis.

    Having helped on the coaching side of things in Dubai for the last three years, Jeremy Manning has become more of a prominent figure on Fiji’s sidelines this year ahead of sevens’ debut at the 2016 Olympic Games. 

    “This will be my third time while Fiji are in Dubai I’ve helped out,” said New Zealander Manning.

    “Fiji needed a trainer so I jumped on board with them and that’s how the relationship started.

    “I’m doing some skills, a bit of kicking, a bit of everything. 

    “It’s been an eye-opener and I’m enjoying it, and I hope they’re enjoying it as well. Hopefully in the near future I’ll have a bit more of a role with them.”

    Manning, 30, was on the Fiji sidelines earlier this week as they played a series of friendlies against Abu Dhabi Harlequins, the team he coached for two seasons, before stepping aside in the summer.

    “They’re looking powerful, big and strong,” Manning said of the defending series champions ahead of the 2015-16 season opener in Dubai.

    “They’ve got some great ball players. They have a few different boys in this year but (coach) Ben (Ryan) has a great rotational system which I think is going to strengthen them. 

    “It’s obviously a big year leading up to the Olympics and Ben’s got a good thing going on here. 

    “Ben likes getting them over here earlier because they have a lot more travelling to do than most teams, so it gets them over the jet lag and acclimatised. It puts them in good stead heading into the Dubai Sevens.”

    Former England sevens head coach Ryan speaks extremely highly of Manning, a Heineken Cup winner in 2006 with Munster, who he claims could be a top-level professional coach in the future.

    “I knew Jeremy from his playing CV and he’s played with a lot of mates of mine. He’s a top bloke and knows professional rugby very well,” said the 44-year-old Englishman. 

    “He’s got a very good skill-set as a coach. If he wants to go down that road as a professional coach, he could have a very successful career. 

    “While he’s here he helps us out with our kicking. 

    “He’s here with us all week helping our men’s and women’s teams and we’ve offered for him to come to Fiji for a week’s camp before the Olympics. We value him that highly. 

    “He’s an outstanding young kicking coach and also he’s got a lot more strings to his bow, like his personal training and nutrition. We’re lucky to have him and he adds a little bit of excellence to our programme.”

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